NatureMapping Animal Facts

Great Horned Owl

Description:
One of the most distinctive looking and least likely to be misidentified of all
owls is the Great Horned Owl. This is because of its large ear tufts, which give
this owl a somewhat cat-likeappearance. Some people even call the Great Horned
Owl a "Cat Owl" because of its ears.

Range/Habitat:
The Great Horned Owl is found all across the United States and Canada in large numbers. It is about 22 inches long, and has brown feathers with a white throat and light colored feathers inside its wings. Of course, as previously mentioned, it is most famous for its ear tufts or “horns.”

Great Horned Owls can be found in a variety of habitats including cliff sides,
deserts, forests and other wooded areas, and shrublands.

Nesting:
They make their nests in hollow trees, in nests abandoned by or taken from other birds such as hawks
and crows, and sometimes in tree cavities previously used by squirrels. Great
Horned Owls may also nest in caves, stumps, rock ledges, barns, and other man-made
structures. They usually will not use the same tree to nest in two years in
a row.

A female owl will lay 2 or 3 eggs in the nest and will incubate them
for 26 - 35 days, during whichtime the male will feed her. After the eggs hatch,
both parents will feed the young, gathering an average of 300 grams of food
per day. The young owls will leave the nest after about 4 - 5 weeks, and will
fly well by about 9 weeks. The Great Horned Owl has a life span of at least
28 years in the wild.

Great Horned Owls in Northern Canada will migrate south to the Northern United States or Southern Canada during the winter to avoid the harsh weather in the north.

Diet:
Great Horned Owls spend most of their time hunting for prey, waiting in
branches and flying silently to the ground to catch their prey. They
hunt during both day and night, but can see better at night than in the
day. Great Horned Owls are carnivores, typically eating small mammals
such as mice, rabbits, woodchucks, rats, squirrels, and even skunks.
They will also sometimes eat other birds such as ducks and hawks.